The Spawn of Frostiron
by Synaika
Summary: While captured by The Ten Rings Tony finds a young girl. He ends up adopting her. Later on her biological father, Loki comes looking for her. While bonding over her Tony and Loki grow close.
1. Leaving

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Marvel. I only own Anselma and Astryr. Nothing else. All credit goes to Marvel.

******************************************************************************************************"Do you really have to go?" Astryr asked. Loki sighed and turned from where he was packing. He pulled her towards him, wrapping her in his arms. "I'm afraid so my darling." He murmured. Astryr tensed. "Will you come back?" Loki pulled back slightly to look at her face. "If the All-father allows it." He said slowly. Astryr's jaw clenched. "What about Anselma?" She asked angrily as she pushed Loki away. He staggered back a few steps. "What about our daughter?" She said while hugging herself. Loki froze for a second. "You know he adores her-" She cut him off. "But because she is mortal, because I'm mortal you're not allowed to stay with us." She stated coldly.

Loki shook his head. "You do not understand my love. He is my father, my family." Astryr suppressed a flinch. "I thought we were your family." She whispered as tears filled her eyes. Loki didn't know how to respond to that. He reached for her but Astryr stepped back. She turned her back to him as Loki turned and grabbed a small trunk from beside the front door. He set it gently at her feet. "When Anselma is older please give this to her." Astryr nodded stiffly. Loki gave a quiet sigh and leaned towards her. He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. Astryr refused to look at him.

He finished packing quickly. Just as he reached the door Astryr spoke. "You are leaving your wife and newborn daughter in the middle of a war zone," She began with a soft voice. "I hope you realize we may not be here if you ever come back." Loki turned to face her but she had already left the room. Loki left the small house. In the other room, Astryr crumpled to the floor, her body shaking with the force of her cries. From a crib across the room a baby wailed. Before he disappeared in the brilliant flash of light from the Bifrost Loki heard the heart-wrenching sobs of the two most important girls in his life.


	2. Cave Meeting

Tony woke up dazed. He was surrounded by several men he didn't recognize. He arched his back in pain as a strange man shoved a circle of metal into his chest. He screamed in agony. The men held him down as he fought to get away. Throwing his head to the side to avoid seeing the hole in his chest he saw a pair of terrified jade eyes. A rag was forced over his mouth and everything faded to black.

When he woke again it was to a tickling sensation in his nose. He swatted at it only to feel a tube leading into his nose. He gagged as he began pulling it out and saw how long it was. He sat up slowly and looked around. He was slowly beginning to panic. On a nearby table he saw a cup. He reached for it only to be pulled to a stop. Looking down he saw a jumble of wires coming out of his chest. Tony grabbed them and followed them to a car battery sitting on the table with the cup. He gasped in shock. Tony startled when a small hand offered him the cup. He looked to see a young girl standing beside him. "Thank you." He said as he drank deeply from the cup, savoring the water as it soothed his burning throat. "What's your name?" He asked the girl as she sat next to him. "Anselma." She said quietly while swinging her legs. "I'm Tony. How old are you?" Anselma grabbed the hand he offered and shook it. Tony smiled at that. "I'm four." A wave of fury coursed through Tony. What kind of sick fuck kidnaps a kid? He thought with disgust. Looking into Anselma's jade eyes, filled with worry, Tony vowed he would get her out of there. All he needed was a plan. He shifted protectively in front of her as a man approached them. He introduced himself as Dr. Ho Yinsen.

For the next three months Tony and Yinsen worked relentlessly. Tony especially on the small suit he was building to connect to his. It was designed to protect Anselma from bullets and fire. He took extra care in providing protection for her. Once everything was ready the plan was put into action. It went horribly wrong. They lost Yinsen and Tony lost control of his anger. Anselma cried for Yinsen as they soared above the large cloud of flames.

Tony cursed as they plummeted to the ground. He hissed in pain once they landed harshly in the sand. He quickly ripped off the destroyed suit and helped Anselma out of hers. He looked her over to make sure she wasn't hurt. He sighed in relief when he saw she was fine. "Come on Selms," He said quietly while pulling her into his arms. "Let's go home." Anselma laid her head over his heart and gently laid a hand over his reactor. She closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep. Tony pulled his over shirt over her head to protect her from the sun. He stumbled through the sand in hopes of finding someone to help them.

Hours later Tony slowed to a stop as he heard the blades of a helicopter slicing through the air. He waved his free arm in the air frantically. The helicopter slowed and landed a dozen yards in front of them. Tony sunk to his knees in relief when he saw Rhodey running towards them. He allowed himself to slip into unconsciousness once he was safe beside Rhodey in the helicopter and Anselma was snug in his arms.

Two weeks later Tony officially adopted Anselma as his own. Neither could have been happier.


	3. Growing Up

Six-year-old Anselma floated in a sphere of a bright green light. Her eyes glowed an eerie blue. Everything in the room was swirling through the air around her. Tony rushed towards her and pulled her down into his arms. She slowly calmed down. She stared up at Tony with tear-filled eyes. "What's wrong with me Papa?" She cried. Tony squeezed her tighter. "Nothing is wrong with you." He whispered fiercely. "You are absolutely perfect princess." She gradually relaxed in her father's arms as Tony struggled to understand what was happening to his daughter.

Eight-year-old Anselma sat calmly on the lab table as Tony studied her x-rays. He scowled at every result Jarvis read him. Anselma sighed as Tony began another test. She just wanted to know why she was so different. Tony just wanted to help his little girl. They were both tired of finding out nothing from the hundreds of tests they had run over the past two years. Tony refused to give up.

Ten-year-old Anselma glared at Nick Fury as he talked to Tony. Hill and Coulson studied her. Tony accepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s help reluctantly and Anselma was taken aboard the Helicarrier, Tony always by her side. They both loved to create havoc on board. A month later Anselma laughed as she ran from an angry Fury. Coulson and Hill laughed at his brilliant pink eye patch. Tony watched with a proud smirk. A few hours later Fury sat behind his desk and looked down at the pink eye patch. A soft smile crossed his face before he quickly hid it as Hill walked in. Life on the Helicarrier was a lot more relaxed after that day. Though the Starks were suspiciously absent whenever Barton and Romanov were on board.

Twelve-year-old Anselma glared at the Avengers sans Tony. She sat relaxing in Fury's chair. "How do you like the Helicarrier kid?" Clint asked. Anselma scowled at him. She made a show of examining the room. "My father could do better." She shrugged. She looked to Bruce and grinned brightly at him. She held out her hand. "I'm Anselma, your work on gamma radiation is unparalleled." She said. "Also, I'm a huge fan of how you lose control and turn into a giant green rage monster." Bruce took her hand and stared at her for a moment. "Thanks." He said slowly. Anselma smiled. "I'm sorry," Natasha said as Fury walked into the room. "Who's the kid?" Anselma leaned back and glowered at Natasha. "And here I thought that, as a super spy, you would know all about your fellow Avengers." She turned to look at Fury, ignoring Natasha's dark look.

"How have you been Nickel?" She grinned at Fury. Stunning the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Fury gave her a small smile. "Good." He said. "And you Selma?" Anselma shrugged. "Okay. Papa grounded me again." Fury snorted. "He grounded you or your godmother made him ground you?" Anselma chuckled. "The latter."She answered. Fury sighed. "What did you do this time?" Anselma pulled a look of complete innocence. "Me?" She asked in mock horror. "I didn't do a thing." Fury scoffed. Anselma adopted a look of false hurt. Steve glared lightly at Fury and gave Anselma a kind smile. She returned the gesture. Sighing she gave up.

"I blew up a lab, released the school snakes, broke the principle's jaw, set a room on fire, and dyed a teacher's hair purple." She said looking up at the ceiling; the picture of boredom. Fury heaved a deep sigh as everyone else stared at her in shock. Tony walked in at that moment. "She forgot to mention that she did all that in the span of fifteen minutes." He stated casually. Anselma smiled innocently.

Tony spotted Bruce and strode quickly towards his side. He held out his hand which Bruce took cautiously. "Hey, I'm Tony. I loved your work on gamma radiation. It was pure genius. I also love how you go crazy and turn into a huge angry green monster." Bruce looked at Anselma before turning back to Tony, who was grinning. "He's my Papa." Anselma explained with a proud smile. Tony gave her a soft smile and moved to stand behind her. "You have a kid?" Clint asked stunned. "Not bio-" Tony cut Anselma off. "Blood doesn't matter to me." He told her. "Yes, I have a daughter." He said to Clint.

"I'm surprised you didn't know," Maria said walking in. "Stark adopted her eight years ago." Tony clutched his heart. "Stark, huh? You wound me Maria. I thought I was Tony to you." Maria shot him an amused look. "That's only when you behave." Tony scoffed. Anselma ran to give her a hug, Maria smiling down at her. "Where's Agent?" Anselma asked. Maria chuckled quietly. "Right behind me." Coulson strode in with his usual poker face on, until he saw Anselma. His face broke into a brilliant smile as he picked her up and spun her around. Her laugh echoed through the room. Phil set her down gently. "You know," He said conversationally, ignoring the looks of shock on Clint and Natasha's faces. "My name is-" Anselma cut him off smoothly. "Agent. Your name is Agent." Phil sighed. "You are just like your father." Anselma laughed.

Six Months Later

Anselma watched in horror as Tony flew a nuke into the portal. She completely ignored how Steve and Bruce, as the Hulk, took down Thanos. Or how Natasha and Clint placed the Terrasact into a safe container. Or how her phone was vibrating on the table next to her. Anselma didn't care about any of that. All she saw was the portal closing before her father come back. Just as the portal shut completely Tony fell through. Anselma cursed as she saw he wasn't slowing down. She gave a laugh of relief as the Hulk caught him.

A quinjet landed to pick her up and Anselma rushed to board it. She paced the entire way to the tower. Glancing at her phone she saw she had a new voice mail. She froze when she saw it was from Tony. With a deep breath Anselma put the phone to her ear. It took her another moment before she hit play. "Anselma," Tony said with a strained voice. "I just wanted to tell you I love you my little angel." Anselma's eyes filled with tears. "You're my whole world. I want you to know that all of this is for yo-" The call cut off. Anselma stood frozen, staring at nothing as tears fell down her face, replaying the message in her head.

She started as the quinjet landed. She dashed out of the quinjet and into the nearly ruined living room. Tony had already taken off the suit and was talking to the rest of the Avengers as some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents dragged Thanos away in chains. Anselma ran straight to Tony. He turned when he heard her footsteps. She launched herself at him. He instinctively caught her. "Papa!" She cried. The force of her jump brought Tony to his knees. They clung to each other tightly. "Baby Girl." Tony gasped, running a hand through Anselma's curls. Tony pulled back slightly and put his forehead to hers. "You okay?" She asked quietly. Tony gave her a soft smile. "I'm okay darling. I'm okay."

"I heard your message." She whispered. "Oh, baby." Tony sighed sadly, pulling Anselma to sit in his lap. He wrapped her completely in his arms and laid his head on top of hers. She snuggled into his chest. "You said you did it for me." She sniffled slightly. "Everything I do is for you." Tony said while standing up. He shifted so Anselma's head lay on his shoulder while her legs were wrapped around his waist. One arm was around his neck while the other rested over the reactor. The Avengers moved out of Tony's way as he strode to the elevator.

"You guys coming?" He called back. They all saw Anselma's watery eyes and without hesitation followed.

Fury let them rest and refused to tell the council where they were. They all retreated to Tony's Malibu summer home. They spent almost everyday together and Anselma grew close to the rest of the Avengers. Clint, Steve, and Bruce became like her overprotective big brothers. Natasha like a bad-ass big sister. Anselma became the most protected person in the world. They all loved the crazy family they made up. Everything seemed to be perfect...


	4. 5 Years Later

Thor and Loki shared a glance before entering the throne room. They made their way to Odin and Frigga who were waiting for them. "You summoned us Father?" Loki asked while bowing his head respectfully. "Yes Loki I did. As you both know five years ago the powerful being, Thanos, was destroyed." Thor glanced at Loki in confusion. Loki shrugged unsure of where their father was going with the conversation. "We have finally been able to locate which planet he fell on." Odin gave a small wave of his hand. An image appeared of a strange building. "This building is located on Midgard." Thor looked surprised while Loki struggled to hide the sudden surge of hope that rose inside him at the mention of his daughter's home. "I wish for the both of you to go to Midgard and meet with the group of individuals who bested Thanos. Create a treaty with them for I believe they could grow to become great allies." A different picture replaced the first. It showed six people: four men and two women. Another picture of one of the men rose next to the group's. The man was extremely handsome with a weird design in his beard. His warm brown eyes were sparkling as he smirked at something they couldn't see. It was no secret on Asgard that Loki was attracted to both genders and ever since the death of his mortal lover his family hoped he would take an interest in someone. So when Tony's picture came up no one was surprised when- "It would be an honor to go Father." Loki purred, his eyes never leaving Tony's face. Thor rolled his eyes fondly at his brother's antics. "You will join his group known as the Avengers and will help them protect Midgard from any and all threats." Odin stated as he rose. "We owe them a great debt." The brothers bowed in acknowledgement and turned to leave. "And Loki," Odin called out. Loki turned slightly to look at his father. "If you happen to stumble upon a certain child..." Loki straightened up hope lighting up his jade eyes. "Bring her home." Loki grinned. "Of course Father."

Nalia watched in amusement as Tony bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet. "Demigods Nalia." He breathed. "We're about to meet two demigods." Nalia laughed and shook her head. Natasha huffed a laugh when Clint leaned over the table to high-five Tony. Bruce chuckled while Steve smiled fondly at them. "Papa sit down." Nalia told Tony since everyone else was already seated. Tony listened without really noticing he had. "Quit fangirling." Tony shot Nalia a mock glare before turning back to stare excitedly at the door.

Nalia pulled out her phone when it started vibrating. Tony finally turned his full attention on her. "Who is that?" Nalia smiled sweetly. "My boyfriend of three years." She deadpanned. Steve sat up straight, Bruce raised an eyebrow, Clint leaned forward, and Natasha narrowed her eyes. Tony's entire demeanor changed as his gaze darkened. Nalia examined her family and frowned slightly. "I was joking." She said with shock. "Will you all calm the fuck down?" Everyone relaxed. Tony chuckled. "Thank goodness, I was about to go to prison for murder." Clint, Steve, and Bruce mumbled their agreement. Natasha sighed. "And I would be planning your breakout." Nalia studied them all for a moment. "It worries me that you're all actually serious." She said while standing. "But I really do need to take this." She hurried from the room before answering.

"I could swear we agreed I would call you." She said. "Oh but I just couldn't wait to hear your voice." He purred. Nalia grinned. "Is that so Jim? Well in that case I must forgive you." Jim laughed brilliantly at that. "You know you could never stay angry at me." The warmth in his voice thickened his British accent. Nalia loved when that happened. She lowered her voice when she saw Fury turn the corner with two men following him. "I have to go darling," She murmured. "Give Sherl my love." She hung up just as Fury reached her. Smiling at him she turned and lead the way into the conference room.

Throwing open the doors Nalia scowled in annoyance. The sight that greeted them was a sight to see. Clint was hanging from the ceiling swinging from side to side, Natasha was throwing her knives at a nearby wall to practice her aim, Bruce was sparring with Steve, and Tony... was tinkering with the Hellicarrier computer covered with oil. A smudge of grease was on his left cheek.

"Children!" Nalia barked. Everyone froze: Clint stopped swinging, Natasha froze mid-throw, Bruce looked up from Steve's headlock as Steve stopped moving, and Tony stopped pulling apart a tangle of wires. They all looked at Nalia with guilt. "Clint get down." She snapped. He immediately dropped down and took his seat next to Natasha. "Natalia grab your knives and sit." Natasha listened. "Boys," she turned to Steve and Bruce. "Pick a corner." Knowing better than to argue they slouched to a corner of the room. Turning to face her father Nalia kept her face carefully blank. "Anthony Edward Stark." She said softly. Tony flinched. "Baby girl-" He started. "Don't you Baby Girl me." Tony shut his mouth quickly. "Sit." She pointed to the seat across from Clint. He sat slowly. All three bowed their heads as Nalia strode to stand at the head of the table. She leaned forward on her hands and looked them over. "Five minutes." She said lowly. "I can't leave you alone for five. fucking. minutes." The Avengers shifted uncomfortably. Nalia frowned.

"And do you know what the worst part is?" A slight smile crossed Tony's face as he guessed what she was going to say. Nalia saw him and flicked his nose. He recoiled with a scandalized look. "You. didn't. invite. me." As one the Avengers turned and looked at her in shock except Tony who looked smug.

"So you're punishing us for leaving you out of the fun?" Clint asked. Nalia nodded. Steve and Bruce faced their corners again looking the definition of dejected. "You can't do that!" Clint exclaimed. "Yeah!" Tony agreed. Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose, closed her eyes, and sighed. She was smart enough to keep quiet. "Yes I can." She said simply. "Now pick a corner." Clint pouted but listened. Tony scoffed. "I'm your father-" Nalia cut him off. "And you will go to that corner like a man." Tony stared at her for a while. Nalia raised an eyebrow. Tony huffed and slowly made his way to the last corner.

With a deep sigh Nalia turned to face Fury and the demigods. "Allow me to introduce the Avengers," Nalia crawled. "Earth's mightiest heroes."


	5. Introductions

Anselma walked over to stand behind Natasha and put her hands on her shoulders. "This stunning woman is Natasha Romanov. Agent name: Black Widow." After squeezing Natasha's shoulders Anselma moved gracefully over to Clint. "Here we have Clint Barton. Nicknamed Hawkeye." She bumped his shoulder and jerked her head towards the table once he looked at her. He gave her a small smile and moved to reclaim his seat by Natasha.

Anselma skipped over to Bruce and grabbed his hand. She dragged him over to the table and shoved him into the chair by Clint. He huffed in amusement. "That's Bruce Banner." She said while moving towards Steve. "Piss him off and he'll turn into the Hulk. A big lean mean green machine." Anselma stated casually. "This is Steve Rogers." Steve allowed her to pull him by his arm and plop him across from Clint. "He's also Captain America."

She slowly made her way to Tony. "This is Anthony Stark. Code name: Iron Man. And he's my papa." She said proudly. Tony turned and grinned. Anselma squealed when he suddenly grabbed her and carried her to a chair. Pulling her into his lap he smiled brightly at the slightly confused and worried Asgardians. "This is Selma. She's a bit..." He trailed off and shrugged.

"Amazing." Natasha offered helpfully. "Sweet." Bruce suggested. "Adorable." Steve chimed. "The spawn of Satan?" Clint said. Anselma glowed with pride. "I feel so loved." She exclaimed, throwing her arms around Tony's neck. "Except from you Clint. Go to hell you damn fucktruck." Clint grinned.

"Aw..." He cooed. "Homesick? I'll visit your place of birth with you later. I have a full schedule that consists of me wrecking havok on all unsuspecting fools currently onboard." A smile spread slowly across Anselma's face. "Budapest." Clint's face instantly paled. Anselma's smile morphed into a smirk. "As I thought."

"Enough." Fury said while practically gliding to the chair at the head of the table. "We are here for one reason and one reason only." He sat and turned his gaze towards the Avengers. "I would like to introduce you to Thor and Loki Odinson. The Norse god of thunder and the Norse god of chaos." Anselma leaned forward towards Loki.

"Chaos huh?" Her eyes gleamed with excitement. The Avengers exchanged looks of horror as Fury sighed in defeat.

"Well shit." Clint summed up everyone's thoughts. Anselma chuckled.


	6. New House Guests

Anselma woke to the feeling of being rocked. Cracking open an eye she saw Tony carrying her through the halls of the Helicarrier. She strechted and glanced behind them. Noticing Thor and Loki trailing behind along with the rest of the Avengers she grinned.

"Enjoy your nap?" Clint yawned from his own place in Steve's arms. Anselma huffed a laugh. "Yeah." She sighed. "You?" Clint scoffed at her raised eyebrow. "What?" He shrugged. "Halfway through the meeting you crawled into my lap and passed out. It's not my fault you make a comfortable pillow." Natasha rolled her eyes in fond amusement. "You missed the meeting." Steve pointed out uselessly. Anselma smiled at him. "Let me take a guess," she said while twisting so she was facing him. Tony cursed as he scrammbled to get a firm grip on her thighs. Anselma ignored him. "The L'Oreal models are going to stay here down below for a bit." Clint choked on a laugh. "So obviously they need a place to stay. Papa offered the superhero boy band with one badass exception." Natasha grinned smugly. "Fury refused. Papa threw a fit." At the whack on her back she rephrased. "I mean he insisted. The overgrown pup pouted and fluttered he big ocean after a storm blue eyes." Thor looked as if he wasn't sure if he should be offended or not. "Then the big cloud of suppressed gloom and despair with emerald green eyes used his powers of persuasion and Fury gave in." Loki adopted a look of offense. Anselma looked expectantly at Steve. "Well?" She asked. Steve chuckled. "Correct as always Anselma." He told her. She smiled happily.

"By the way Clint," Anselma said and looked to where he had sat up in Steve's hold. "You make a great pillow too." He smiled. "But not as well as Natalia." Clint stopped smiling and glared at Natasha. "Wait a second," he said while dragging his eyes to Anselma. "When did you ever fall asleep next to Tasha?" Anselma thought for a moment. "That one night we passed out because we were drunk-" Tony froze and slowly turned his head to look at his daughter. Steve tried to stop but couldn't in time. Clint's head slammed into Anselma's and she jerked back while hissing in pain. "Ow!" She shouted.

Coulson, who had been passing by, slowed and turned to make his way towards them. Coulson watched them for a minute. They made quite a sight. Tony was glaring between Natasha, who looked innocent as can be, and Anselma, who was rubbing her head. Steve was apologizing repeatedly to Anselma and Clint who was, for some reason, in his arms and cursing at the super soldier. Bruce was simultaneously trying to examine Clint and Anselma who were avoiding his hands like the plague. The two Norse gods were watching everything with clear amusement.

"What exactly is going on?" He asked, deciding to make his presence known. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. Anselma immediately watered her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. Coulson's eyes softened. "Papa stopped walking," she said quietly. "And I hit my head on Clint's." Coulson glared darkly at Tony. "You," he barked. "With me. Now." Anselma was shifted to Bruce's arms and Tony reluctantly followed Coulson who gave Anselma a soft smile.

Anselma cackled once the two were out of sight. Clint glance at her warily. "You are terrifying." Anselma shrugged. Clint watched her for a moment thoughtfully. "Hmmm." He hummed. They began their trek back to their private quinjet.

"Want to help me with a small project?" Clint asked her suddeningly as they were boarding. Anselma met his eyes. "Oh yes," she whispered. "Let's throw a little chaos in the mix and watch them all scramble." They both laughed as everyone else exchanged looks of apprehension. "Are we going to wait for Tony?" Bruce asked while buckling up. "Nope." Natasha stated cheerfully. "He flew here." Anselma explained. "Ah." Bruce said.

She turned to the demigods. "You ready to see your new home?" They both looked to each other for a moment. "Well," Thor boomed. "It seems we shall never lack a good time." Anselma laughed. "No, Godilocks, I'm sure you won't."


	7. Avengers Tower

Anselma led the way into the tower, trembling with excitement. "Welcome to our humble abode." She proclaimed while throwing out her arms to gesture to the whole living room. "Well, yours too now I suppose." Shrugging she made her way to the bar. Steve caught her by her collar causing Anselma to curse under her breath as she was jerked to a stop. "What do you think you're doing?" She sighed dramatically. "I've had a difficult day and I need-" Clint cut her off. "Waking up at noon, flying to headquarters, falling asleep for a few hours, and flying back home is a hard day for you?" He asked. "Damn, talk about no excitement. What do you do for fun?" He teased.

Extracting her shirt from Steve's iron grip she flopped onto the couch. She didn't answer him. Clint pouted. Scoffing Anselma examined him. "Oh go sulk in your nest if all you're going to do is stick out that plump lower lip and try to get a little sympathy from me." Clint immediately stopped pouting. He crossed his arms and looked out the window clearly ignoring her. Looking around she saw Thor and Loki examining the living room. Bruce and Natasha had disappeared. Steve was studying their new guests. "Hey Steve," Anselma said, swinging her legs around and sitting up to stand before him. "Why don't you show Sparky and Rock of Ages to an empty floor. You know give them a tour of their new home." Steve nodded and moved towards the elevator where the brothers were studying such a "strange metal box with a magic movement" or some shit like that. Anselma wasn't really listening to their discussion so she wasn't too sure if that was right or not.

The moment the elevator doors shut Clint and Anselma were sitting face to face on the couch with their heads bent together. Manic grins sat on their faces. "Ready to go over the plan?" Anselma asked excitedly. Clint's grin widened. "Hell yeah." Anselma bounced in place for a moment before stilling. Leaning even closer she lowered her voice to a whisper. "First we..."


	8. 10 Steps to Fuck Shit Up

10 Steps to Fuck Shit Up (Or the Time Clint & Anselmsa prank S.H.I.E.L.D.)

Everything was calm for one week. One. And then Clint and Anselma snuck onto the Helicarrier. And then they put their plan into place. And then all hell broke loose.

-One hour earlier-

Clint quietly crawled through the vents and made his way to a screen looking down into the main room. "Sly, are you in position?" He whispered into his comm. Anselma was one floor below looking into the room from a vent on the floor. "Yes. Are you ready Shadow?" She took his small huff of laughter as a yes. "Initiate Step One." Clint grinned as their plan unfolded before them.

Step One: The sudden shrill of an alarm disturbed the once semi-peaceful air. The agents jumped in surprise. "WARNING! WARNING! ERROR DETECTED!" A female voice burst from the speakers. "WARNING! WARN-" Suddenly Clint's voice interrupts. "IT'S TIME FOR SOME FUN NOW BITCHES!"

Anselma smiled as step one went smoothly. "On to step two." She whispered. Pushing a button on the side of her earpiece every computer above her shut down. The agents began to look to each other for answers. Just then Clint hit his own button to move on to the next step.

The song 'I Put A Spell On You' blared through the room as the terminals powered on with the picture of a hawk carrying a snake. The words, SLY AND SHADOW ARE IN CONTROL NOW scrolled across the screen.

Step Four: All lights in the room began flashing from green to purple. The agents were stumbling around trying to figure out what was happening.

Anselma quickly moved on to step five. Clint was glad they had decided to decided silence Fury's alarms. They knew he would have been onto them in seconds. Grinning, Anselma and Clint released their cargo. Snakes of all kinds began slithering along the floor nipping at people's heels. Hawks flooded the room from the vents and divebombed anyone wearing jewelry. It was at this point the agents lost control.

Anselma slipped a small black box out of her pocket. Typing in a four digit pin in she went on to the sixth step. All the way on the other side of the Helicarrier Fury's office locked down. No alerts sounded so Fury just kept on working.

Step Seven: Another four digit pin. A clear scentless smoke filtered into the office. Once full it was sucked out silently. His office unlocked. An alarm shattered the silence of Fury's focus. He leapt to his feet with a curse on his lips.

Step Eight: Fury stormed down the halls seeking the problem.

Step Nine: Anselma and Clint made their escape. They were never seen. Fury reached the room.

Step Ten: He entered. He stared in surprise at his agents. Some were crouching on their desks while the rest cowered beneath them. There were no animals, no alarms, no messed up computers, no music, and no flashing lights. Everything was normal. Fury was surprised.

But not as much as his agents. After all it's not everyday they see Fury with bright yellow skin. It took him longer then he'd like to admit to figure out why they were laughing at him.


	9. Tears: Part One

Clint's mission was meant to last three weeks. He was gone for twelve.

Natasha was restless for three weeks. She was cold for seven. She was nowhere to be found for two.

Anselma was bored for three weeks. She didn't talk for four. She didn't leave her private lab for five.

Bruce was out of the country for a speech. When he got back he hid until the day Clint returned. Tony buried himself in work the entire twelve weeks. Steve fought the punching bag 24\7 until he passed out from exhaustion every few days.

The day Clint got back Anselma spoke. Two words. Clint responded. He screamed at her until his throat hurt. He screamed until Natasha glared at him. Until Steve had to leave least he do something rash. Until Bruce began turning green. Until Tony punched him in the face. Until Anselma ran from the room in tears.

Her words echoed in Clint's head. The words that angered him. He had been held hostage for eleven weeks. Tortured for eight. And the first words he heard?

"You're okay..."


	10. Tears: Part Two

Anselma ran straight into Loki and landed in Thor's arms. "I'm sorry." She whispered while wiping her eyes hastily and stumbling away from the blonde. Loki frowned at her wet eyes. "What troubles you daughter of Stark?" He asked in concern. Anselma shrugged. "Nothing you need to worry about." She said while walking around him. Refusing to be deterred the brothers followed her up to the roof. She sighed in exasperation when she turned from pacing and saw them.

"Is there anything we can do to assist you Iron offspring?" Thor asked his voice surprisingly soft. She gave him a watery smile. Shaking her head she took a shuddering breath. "No Thor." She whispered. "Only one person can fix this." The brothers watched in concern as she moved to the edge and slowly sat. Cautiously they moved to sit next to her. "Do you not fear falling from such height?" Loki asked. Anselma leaned against him and shrugged. "I have a feeling one of you would catch me." She said softly. "Aye," Thor rumbled quietly. "We would."

For hours they sat in silence watching as the sun set slowly. Anselma jumped slightly when the roof door clicked open. Soft footsteps headed towards them.

"Can I speak to Anselma alone for a minute?" Thor stood and towered over Clint. Loki helped Anselma to her feet and shifted as if to hide her from sight. Clint refused to budge. "Sure." Anselma murmured.

It was clear the Asgardians didn't want to leave but respected Anselma's decision. Once they were gone Clint avoided looking anywhere near Anselma. She just looked to the stars winking down at them. "I-" Clint started before stopping. "I know saying sorry isn't going to change what I did." He swallowed thickly. "But I am sorry, Elm. So very sorry." Finally he looked to her to see her watching him. "Why?" She said. "What?"

"Why," She repeated. "Did you get angry at me?" Clint tensed. "It's hard to explain." Anselma crossed her arms. "It's hard for my brother to attack me the moment I see he actually is alive." She shot back. He flinched slightly and took a step back. Anselma noticed that he avoided putting a lot of weight on his left leg. Ignoring that she took a step forward. Clint grimaced. "Fine." He said.

"I was captured." Anselma frowned. "They wanted information on S.H.I.E.L.D. I refused to answer. They tried to..." She moved to stand next to him when he hesitated. Clint relaxed slightly as her fingers brushed his. She guided him until they were both sitting against the wall beside the door. Clint stared at the moon and chewed his lip. "They tried to change my mind. They tortured me Elm." Anselma flinched at that. Taking a deep breath she fought the tears she felt filling her eyes. "They used these chemicals to-" He cut off, running a hand down his face, taking deep breaths. Anselma watched his adams apple move as he gulped in air, trying to stay calm. "To make me hallucinate. I saw things..." He fell silent. They sat in the quiet for a long moment. "I saw all of you. All of you dead. Or dying." He choked back a sob. "I saw you. You died in my arms. And I couldn't save any of you."

He stood suddenly and began pacing, gripping his hair in his fists. "I was forced to relive my worst memories. To see my worst fears. And I was too weak to do anything." He said, voice growing louder the longer he talked. "And then, out of nowhere, Tasha was there. At first I thought I was still seeing things..." Turning on his heel he strode to the edge of the roof. Anselma scrambled to her feet and rushed after him. He stopped and just stared down into the darkness that led to the ground. "Clint," She whispered. Spinning, Clint grabbed Anselma's face between his hands and pulled their foreheads together. "But she brought me home. And I saw you." He pulled her tightly into his arms. Anselma's crying slowed as Clint's heartbeat thudded softly under her ear.

"I was so happy when I saw you." He said in low voice. "But then you said I was okay and I just... I lost it." Clint pulled back to look at Anselma's face. "Because-" His voice cracked. Her heart broke when she saw a tear slide down his cheek. With gentle fingers she wiped it away. Clint closed his eyes tightly causing several more tears to fall. Pain clouded Anselma's face. "I got so angry." Anselma shushed him. "It's okay. I understand." Clint shook his head violently. "No!" He roared while pushing her away. She stumbled but caught herself. Clint crumpled in on himself, sobs wracking his body. "You don't understand." He sobbed. Anselma cried with him and dropped next to him. Gently pulling him into her arms she hummed quietly. Clint slowly relaxed listening to the tune of his favorite song. His sobs quieted. Anselma never let him go. All the while he kept repeating the same thing over and over. "I'm not okay. I'm not okay. I'm not okay."

And Anselma finally understood.


	11. Nightmares

Clint woke screaming. A pair of gentle arms craddled him protectively against a soft chest. It took him a moment to figure out where he was.

Anselma had accompanied him to his room and put him under the covers before laying next to him. He didn't think he would actually sleep but he had. Now he was gasping for breath, chest heaving. Anselma ran a hand through his sweat soaked hair. "Shh, shh," she murmured. "You're safe now. You're home." Clint sagged completely against her and just breathed. Anselma began humming his favorite song again. He just listened, glad she hadn't left him alone. "Will you sing it for me?" She asked abruptly. Clint looked up at her from laying in her arms. She smiled softly down at him. "This song?" She nodded. Taking a deep breath he began to sing quietly.

"Did you write the book of love? And do you have faith in God above? If the Bible tells you so?

Do you believe in rock and roll? Can the music save your mortal soul? And can you teach me to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you're in love with him

'Cause I saw you dancin' in the gym

You both kicked off your shoes

Man, I dig those rhythm and blues" His voice rose with greater confidence.

"I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck

With a pink carnation and a pickup truck

But I knew I was out of luck

The day the music died

I started sigin'

Bye, bye Miss American pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye

Singin' this'll be the day that I die" His voice lowered to a whisper.

"This'll be the day that I die..."

Anselma just stared at him for a while. Clint looked at the sky through the window. "You have a beautiful voice." She leaned down and kissed his temple. Clint shrugged off the compliment. "Why don't you go shower and get cleaned up?" She suggested. "The others will start getting up soon." Clint slowly sat up. "It's already that late?" He asked while standing and stretching. "You didn't fall asleep until a few hours ago." She reminded him. Clint didn't respond, instead he grabbed some clothes and moved to get ready for the day. Anselma stood and went to stare out the window. She hummed while waiting for Clint to finish.

The moment he opened the bathroom door she rushed past him. "Hey," He exclaimed. "Where's the fire?" She just laughed and pushed him out. He raised an eyebrow when she shut the door in his face.

Anselma rushed through her shower and kicked herself when she realized she didn't have any clothes to change into. "Clint!" She yelled. She could hear him laughing through the door. "Did you just notice?" Scowling she didn't answer. Clint sighed loudly before knocking on the door. "Here," he said. "Wear this." She cracked the door opened and grabbed the bundle of clothes. "Thanks Shade." He hummed in reply.

He looked up when she stepped out of the steaming room. He laughed at how she looked. She was wearing one of his button up shirts that reached her mid thigh. "Shut up. It doesn't look that bad." Clint stopped laughing and opened his bedroom door. "Go on." He said while rolling up his towel. Anselma walked out, rubbing her hair with her own towel.

Pushing the button for the elevator she screamed in surprise when Clint flicked her with the end of his towel. "Clint!" Laughing Anselma turned back and came face to face with two stunned Norse gods. "Hey!" She grinned.

They moved to give her room. She waved bye to Clint as the doors shut. Humming she slung the towel over one shoulder and began running her fingers through her hair. The doors opened to let her off on her floor. Skipping away she went to change. In moments she was joining the brothers again to head to breakfast.

"Morning!" She chirped merrily. Tony groaned into his coffee before letting his head fall onto the table with a thump. Bruce and Steve smiled as Natasha nodded. The three sat and accepted the plates Bruce offered them.

"May I ask you a question Lady Stark?" Thor rumbled as Clint walked in. He sat and kissed Anselma's cheek in greeting. Anselma smiled at Thor. "Go for it." He hesitated. "How long have Eye of Hawk and you been engaging in a physical relationship?" Everyone fell silent and turned to stare at the two of them except Tony who just ignored them. "I'm not sleeping with Clint." Anselma said, brows furrowed. "Did you not leave his room half dressed and freshly bathed this morn?" Thor asked in confusion.

Tony sat up, wide awake, and glared darkly at Clint. "She. Did. What?" He hissed. Clint raced from the room and disappeared into the vents with Tony chasing and threatening him with a spoon. Anselma laughed and explained what happened. Tony was slightly appeased but still stewed for a few hours. Although Natasha asking him "No better wake up call then a daughter sex scare huh?" might have had something to do with it.


	12. Prank War: Week One

Day One:

It started off as a peaceful morning... then a bored Clint Barton woke up. Last week Tony had made a very colorful threat involving his jewels and a spoon. Now Clint wanted revenge... on Anselma. After all it was her fault.

Or that was the excuse he used when Anselma ran screaming from her room, dressed in only a towel, and hair covered in bubbles. "CLINT!" He was smart enough to have found an escape route beforehand.

Anselma ignored the others questions on what was going on as they appeared. Tony was the last to arrive. "What's going on here?" He asked staring at his drenched daughter who was seething with fury. Anselma whirled and stormed towards him. "Clint fucking Barton thought it would be sooo funny to throw a mouse in my shower." Tony winched at that remembering her terror of them in Afghanistan. Especially since they were everywhere in the cave.

"Ah." He said. Anselma's eyes flashed. "I'm going to gut him from naval to gullet, tie him to a tree using his intestines, and leave him for the birds to feed on." She snarled viciously. Everyone shifted away from her.

"Yeah," Tony said grabbing her by her shoulders. "Let's not do that." She brushed off his hold and strode into her room. "He's going to pay." She hissed. "And before we're done he's going to be begging for mercy." The Avengers jumped as her door slammed shut. "Well Clint's fucked." Tony stated casually.

Day Two:

Honestly Clint should have expected it. It was so predictable Anselma was disappointed it actually worked.

Clint was in the shower (again obvious) when the alert for a fire blasted throughout his room. Freaking out he raced from the tower and into the street. He ran in front of a school bus and lurched to a stop. The kids stared at him in shock. With a jolt Clint realized why.

He was naked. And now some little kids were traumatized by him. Oh shit. Fury was going to kill him.

Day Three:

The moment Anselma entered the empty living room she was hit. Several balloons filled with paint hit her and covered her head to toe with purple paint. Seconds later the vent above her opened and a pile of feathers (hawk feathers) fell on her. She stood there for a long while upset at not seeing this coming. Clint's laughter echoed through the vents.

Bruce, Steve, Thor, and Loki went to investigate. They didn't know quite how to react to the sight of Anselma. They were wise enough to keep in their laughter until she was out of earshot.

*******************************Day Four:

Clint woke to a dozen six inch AIs laying in his bed. He maintains that his scream was very manly indeed. And that Thor's mission to "come to the aid of Lady Natasha" was a bit uncalled for. Especially since Natasha's floor was two floors below his. It's not his fault he had a deep deep fear of AIs.

So Anselma could go fall off a cliff for bringing out that fear for all he was concerned.

And no Thor those were not tears. His eyes just happened to be bright when he first woke up. Clint was a bit upset when he realized that the baby machines were programmed with the evil intentions to follow him everywhere.

And no Steve he was not trying to escape them by crawling through the vents; he was just testing to see if they could follow. They could.

Day Five:

Anselma had been in her lab half an hour before Clint put his prank into play. All the doors locked and every vent opened. Neon orange foam filled every inch of the room. It took her six hours to clean up. She wasn't impressed. She spent the rest of her day planning for the next day.

Day Six:

The Avengers were called out to take care of a few doombots in Central Park when Clint found out what Anselma had planned. He was using his favorite bow and every time he pulled back the string a small jolt of electricity rippled through his arm. By the time the Avengers got back home his arm was numb. Anselma just smirked as he walked in the door. He most certainly did not pout at that.

Day Seven:

Anselma opened her closet to find all of her clothes missing. Nothing but S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms in their place. A few days after ranting for hours about how much she hated the uniforms. What made it worse was that there was a charity event that night. And she had no choice but to go. Simply because Tony had to.


	13. Prank War: Week Two

Day Eight:

Clint most certainly did not jump in the air when a full body Iron Man suit walked up and said hello to him. And he honestly had no idea how he ended up in Steve's arms. Steve must have grabbed him in fear of the damn machine suddenly appearing. Clint had nothing to do with it. Nope, no way.

He spent his day constantly looking over his shoulder for the damn suit. For being so big he never actually saw it coming. It would pop up randomly and talk to him. As if it was human. For hours.

And nope Anselma, this little prank didn't frighten him. He always flinched before turning corners and jumped at every noise. After all he had lived with Natasha for a while. And really Tasha was the slap necessary?

Day Nine:

Anselma was walking into the living room to join the team for movie night. The only ones missing were Clint, Loki, and Thor. "Hey guys!" She greeted them heading for the only empty couch. Just as she reached the middle of the room Clint rolled from the back of the couch, pulled back the string for his bow, and let an arrow fly. It landed at Anselma's feet and she was lost in a cloud of smoke. Coughing, she emerged. Glaring at Clint she raised a finger to point at him and stopped.

"Clint," she asked calmly. "Did you just dye my skin blue?" Clint began backing away from the angry teen. "Uh, no." He said. The team had never seen Clint run so fast when Anselma threw a dagger from who knows where (and honestly they gave up finding out years ago) since they knew him.

Loki walked in and just stared at Anselma. Her skin was the exact shade blue as his true skin. For a moment he saw what his little girl would look like and his heart hurt. Tony, spotting Loki's look, quickly called him over to join them in watching Transformers. Who knew, he might actually get some ideas watching the movies. And if Loki sat a little closer to him than necessary he wasn't going to complain.

Day Ten:

Clint has no idea how Anselma pulled off her next trick without waking him. And he wouldn't have even noticed if she hadn't took a picture and put it on the fridge. Although Tony's chuckles and Tasha's outright laughter might have tipped him off. If not Bruce's smile, Steve's twitching lips, and the Asgardian's bemusement would have. Maybe. Whatever, the picture got his attention, okay?

And he had to say he could pull off bubble gum pink hair. Although he could do without the make up. And where did she even get the make up? She didn't wear any. Neither did Tasha. Maybe Pepper...

Day Eleven:

Things escalated when they were called to the Helicarrier to debrief on the Asgardian's adjustments to Midgard. Anselma was chatting happily with Loki about magic when Clint gave Thor a sign.

Clint grabbed Anselma mid-step and tossed her over the side if the aircraft. Anselma screamed in surprise. Just as she began to panic, along with everyone else, Thor jumped after her. Effortlessly he caught her and swung his hammer to fly back up to the others. Anselma was shaking and trying to get her breath back.

"Barton,"she panted. "You're dead." Clint laughed, thinking he was safe on the carrier, only to turn and face an unimpressed Fury and angry Coulson. Damn it.

Day Fourteen:

Clint should have known Anselma was up to something. But after two days he had let his guard down. Because everyone knew Anselma had no patience. At all. For anything. He truly believed he was safe from retaliation.

So for him to wake up on the statue of liberty's head with a circle of AI robots just standing and staring at him with red eyes he felt justified for his initial reaction. Which was to scream and leapt over the bots off the statue. He really didn't think it through. And Anselma really, sending Thor to catch him. Really? And how did Thor know he was going to jump... Of course Anselma knew how he was going react. Because, naturally, she recorded everything. And put it online. Just great...

Day Fifteen:

Tony declared the prank war over. Because he hadn't been invited. And no way was he choosing a winner. He didn't care if everyone else said Anselma was the champion. He ruled no one won because it wasn't really a war without him. Clint agreed completely. If only to ensure he didn't lose.


	14. Crush

Anselma watched Tony as he tinkered with a few upgrades for the suit. "Papa?" She asked when he wasn't holding anything dangerous. "Hmm." Tony hummed while studying his blueprints. "How can you tell when a boy likes you?" Tony jerked up and fixed Anselma with an intense stare. "He can't. He doesn't. You're only seventeen." Anselma smiled at him. "I know Papa. I'm just curious." Tony narrowed his eyes. Sitting back in his chair, he crossed his arms, and forced a casual look. On the outside he looked completely relaxed. On the inside was pure panic.

Oh god, oh god. He thought. She's talking about boys. Not my baby. She's too young. I'll kill anyone who touches her. Oh god, what if she wants to discuss the talk. I'm so screwed. Anselma stared expectantly at him. When he didn't answer she sighed.

"If someone likes you do they, I don't know, use any excuse to touch you, or smile at everything you do even if it's stupid, or sit closer than normal, or always watch you when you're in the same room together, or laugh at-" She stopped talking when Tony stood and pulled her tightly into his arms. "You're too young. You're too young." He murmured. "He's too old for you." Anselma's brows furrowed. "Who is?"

"Loki." Anselma laughed and pushed him away lightly. "I don't have a crush on Loki. You do!" Tony didn't know what to say to that. "What?" He finally asked. Anselma smiled at him. "You finally like someone. Like really like them." She jumped up and down in excitement. Tony scoffed. " I don't have a crush on Loki Selm." She stopped jumping and looked at him with blatant disbelief.

"What's your favorite color?" She asked. Tony looked puzzled but answered wanting to know where to conversation was going. "Red." Anselma smiled and jumped to sit on his table. "And Loki's?" Tony didn't even have to think about it. "Green." Her smile widened. Tony moved to sit next to her. "What's your favorite meal?" Tony wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "Pizza."

"And Loki's?" Tony shrugged. "Some weird Asgardian shit he magics up." Anselma laughed at that. "And when he doesn't use magic?" Tony only thought for a few seconds. "Pasta." Anselma nodded. "What's Loki's favorite movie?" Tony smiled at that. "Transformers."

"And his favorite song?" Tony answered without hesitation. "Rock of Ages." Shaking her head at him Anselma nudged him. "So let me get this straight," she said while jumping up and turning to face him. "You know Loki's favorite color, meal, movie, and song?" Tony opened his mouth to respond but Anselma didn't give him the chance. "And you know all that after only knowing him for one month?" Tony's eyes darted around as he thought about that. "Yes..." He said slowly. "So what are you going to do about it?" Tony looked startled at that question. "Nothing." He said quickly. "Absolutely nothing."

Anselma sighed before grabbing him by his ear, yanked him off the table, and dragged him out of the lab. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Tony said. "What the hell are you doing?" She didn't bother answering him. Tony kept grumbling under his breath until Anselma released him. Looking up he saw he was in the library with Loki. The door closed behind him as his meddling daughter disappeared.

Just as he hoped to escape since Loki looked to be absorbed in whatever book he was reading, the god looked up and met his eyes. "Uh, hey Lokes." Tony said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down. "Do you mind if I join you?" Loki smiled at him. "Not at all Tony." He gestured to the seat next to him. Tony swallowed and sat. Great. He thought. What now?


	15. Bonding

Loki waited patiently for Tony to speak. It took him thirty-five minutes and sixteen seconds to talk. Loki knows because he counted. But its okay because he waited. Patiently, in case you missed it the first time.

"So," Tony began, clearing his throat before finally looking at Loki again. "What are you reading?" Loki lifted the book high enough for Tony to see the title. Norse Mythology he read. "I am curious as to why you would have such a book." Loki said conversationally. Tony relaxed into his seat, sensing an easy topic to discuss. "I bought it when Anselma was six." At Loki's curious expression he explained. "She was doing odd things and I needed answers. I was a bit desperate. That book was the only one that actually helped." Loki raised an eyebrow at that. "What odd things?" He asked only one of the few questions he had.

Tony bit his lip and slouched a little in his chair. Loki's eyes zeroed in on Tony's mouth before traveling the length of his body. Tony didn't notice as he was looking up at the ceiling to avoid having to keep eye contact with the intimidating god. "Things like floating in a green bubble of energy and making things float. You know things like that." Tony waved his hand aimlessly in Loki's direction.

Suddenly he had all of Loki's attention. "Did it look like this?" He asked eagerly as he flicked his hand and a small green ball of light hovered above his palm. Tony leaned forward and studied it for a moment. "Yeah." He nodded. "Kind of like that." Loki smiled. "So your daughter is a magic user." Tony nodded, a proud look on his face. "Did she get it from you?" Tony shot him an strange look. "No, why would you think that?" Loki glanced at his chest. "You carry magic with you. I assumed you were a sorcerer." Tony looked down to his arc reactor which shone brightly out his undershirt.

"This isn't magic. It's science. I built it." Loki eyed him. "If that is so than your science comes as close to magic as is possible." Tony sat in thought for a moment. "So Anselma got her magic from her mother then?" Tony glanced to Loki to see him flipping absentmindedly through the book. "I wouldn't know," Tony said. "I never met her." Loki frowned in puzzlement. "Then how...?" Tony laughed at his expression.

"Anselma is my adopted daughter. I met her when she was four. I adopted her not long after..." Tony trailed off as he got lost in his memories. Loki watched his open face with a soft smile. "Does it matter to you that she's not truly yours?" He asked, pulling Tony out of his thoughts.

"Anselma is mine in all but blood. And when it comes down to it blood doesn't matter all that much." Tony said looking Loki in the eye. "She was an orphan stuck in the middle of a warzone. A prisoner of a terror group. She saved me and I saved her. I may not be her biological father but know in my eyes Anselma is mine." He said fiercely. Loki was stunned by how passionate Tony was. "Will you tell me about her?" He asked. Loki loved the way Tony's eyes lit up as he spoke of his daughter.

Of how smart and kind she was. Of how she didn't believe in quitting, never hesitated to do the right thing, and always stuck up for the underdog. And how she didn't like her foods to touch.. And that she was allergic to every fruit but still ate apples and oranges. And-

"She wrinkles her nose when she's really happy. And she throws her head back to laugh when she's really really happy. And she sings in the shower really loud and she hums when she's nervous or worried. She dances when she's excited and-"

Loki couldn't help it, he just had to kiss the rambling mortal. The mortal he could truly fall for. Tony was actually blushing when Loki pulled back. Loki chuckled. "What was that for?" Tony asked bowing his head in embarrassment. Loki gave him a soft smile. "For being you." Tony flushed deeper at that. "Anthony," Tony's head snapped up at the use of his first name. "I would very much like to court you. Would you be amendable to that?" Tony smiled brightly at Loki. "I would like that very much."


	16. Courting

Tony woke up and strencthed, sighing contentedly as his bones popped and released tension. Sitting up he opened his eyes and looked around. He jerked back in shock when his gaze meet a pair of emerald eyes.

"What the hell Loki?!" He exclaimed. Loki took a step back and adopted a look of confusion. "I am here to escort you to the first meal of the day." He said slowly. Tony stared at him in silence. "What?"

Loki straightened. "On Asgard it is customary for the one initiating a courtship to escort their intended to a meal." Tony groaned and flopped back onto his bed. "It's too early for this."

Loki stood by the bed, unsure of what to do. Suddenly Tony's hand shot out and grabbed Loki's and dragged him into the bed too. Loki hovered awkwardly over Tony for a moment before Tony sighed and shifted them until he was laying on Loki's chest. "Just a few more minutes..." Tony murmured before falling sleep again. Loki froze afraid to disturb the now slumbering man sprawled across him. Gradually he loosened his muscles and moved his arms to hold Tony closer. He studied Tony's face closely. He looked peaceful when he slept. His smile and worry lines smoothed over while he rested and he just looked... perfect. At least to Loki anyways.

It wasn't long until Tony was moving and stretching again. "Ready to get up now?" Tony asked around a yawn. Loki shot him a look of amusement. "Yes." He said simply. Tony sleepily crawled out of bed with Loki watching his every move. Especially when Tony lifted his arms above his head to work out a few kinks and his shirt rose up a few inches. Tony glanced back in time to see Loki lick his lips. With a small smirk he moved to his closet to get his clothes down for the day. When Tony turned his face was inches away from the god's. Loki pressed him against the door and pressed their lips together gently. Tony grabbed Loki's shirt with both hands and pulled him flush against him, deepening the kiss. Loki gripped Tony's hair firmly with one hand, the other gliding up and under Tony's shirt. Just as quickly as kiss began it ended. Tony ducked out from Loki's hold and walked swiftly to the restroom. Loki stood in shock for a while before he turned to see Tony entering the restroom. He grinned as the door shut, his mortal disappearing behind it. Oh how he did love a small tease. With a glint in his eye he went to wait for his intended in the hallway.


	17. The Lab

Tony was a bit nervous to show his sanctuary to anyone, let alone a Norse god he believed he could actually fall in love with. But here he was leading Loki into his private lab hoping for, well he really didn't know what he was hoping for.

Loki paused in the doorway and took everything in as Tony moved forward to greet Dummy, Butterfingers, and You. "Hey boys, did you miss Daddy?" The bots cooed and swarmed him. Tony crouched and scratched their joints affectionately. They spun around and squealed in excitement at Tony's attention. "I've only been gone a few hours." Tony laughed before standing and patting the bots one last time. He turned to find Loki watching him with a fond smile. "Well," Tony said while glancing around. "What do you think?" Even though he said it casually Loki could tell Tony was anxious about his response. However before he could answer a voice spoke from seemingly nowhere.

"Sir, I have discovered a small anomaly in the most recent design you asked me to examine." Tony turned on his heel and strode quickly towards one of the desks. With a small flick of his wrist the room lit up an icy blue as fozens of holograms popped up. Stunned Loki walked further into the room and spun slowly to see them all. They were blueprints of all of Tony's most recent ideas and they were all astounding to Loki. Some were clearly for the other Avengers and others were too difficult for him to understand. Loki looked to Tony to see him immersed in a different hologram showing an Iron Man suit. He was adding here and deleting there, brows creased with concentration and hands never still. Tony's eyes inspected every inch of his design looking for any flaws. Loki stood just watching for hours, never growing bored of seeing Tony in his element. And he was so breathtaking to watch.

Tony, so focused on his work, forgot Loki was even there. He just built, bantered with Jarvis, teased his bots, and programmed. He was himself for no one to see except-

Tony spun around in his chair to see a new set of equations for his armour and spotted Loki, who was staring at him with something akin to awe. Tony cleared his throat self-consciously and stood. Brushing his grease stained hands on his pants he moved to stand in front of Loki. "Sorry," he said. "I tend to lose track of time down here. And I'm sure you're bored by now because I was only going to show you around. And now you've been stuck down here for hours and I'm so sorry that I-" Loki cut him off with a chaste kiss. "Anthony," he whispered, his lips barely brushing against Tony's. "I could watch you for an eternity and never grow bored. You are magnificent." Tony tried to look away in slight embarrassment but Loki's hand on his chin stopped him. "Do not hide from the truth my seiðr." Loki said firmly. Tony looked him straight in the eyes and nodded. "Okay." He replied. Loki smiled brilliantly at his response. Tony's heart fluttered at that. With a smile Tony grabbed Loki's hand and lead him out the lab.

Author's Note:

Seiðr meaning: enchantment


	18. Frost Giant

Loki felt it was only fair he share a part of himself with Tony after the day before. But that didn't mean he wasn't nervous about what he was about to do.

Tony was leaning against the wall next to Loki's door as said god paced restlessly beside his bed. "So," Tony drawled with an amused look. "You wanted to show me something..." Loki paused and faced Tony. He hesitated for a moment before beginning his explanation.

"I have never spoke of this to anyone, not even Thor." Tony, sensing the seriousness of the conversation, moved to sit on Loki's bed. Gently he tugged the god down to rest next to him. Loki took a deep breath and continued. "I am not of Asgard." Tony grabbed his hand when Loki shuddered slightly while admitting that. He squeezed it softly and moved to pull Loki into his side. Loki relaxed and continued his tale. "I am from Jotunheim. The home of... frost giants." Tony leaned away to look Loki up and down. "Sorry to break it to you Loki but I highly doubt that you are a giant." Loki tensed and moved away. Tony cursed himself as Loki stood and began to pace yet again. "I'm sorry Loki." He said apologetically. "I just wanted you to laugh and relax. To stop being so anxious." Loki glanced at Tony's distressed face and stopped in the middle of the room. With a deep sigh Loki released the magic masking his true form and closed his eyes. He flinched slightly at Tony's gasp of surprise.

Tony stared at Loki's deep blue skin and rose to get a closer look. Loki heard his steps and backed away. He froze as his back met the wall.

The heat from Tony's body caused a shiver to run through him. Tony tried not to enjoy that to much as he ran his fingers lightly across the symbols covering Loki's face.

"Beautiful." He whispered. Loki's eyes flew open in shock. "What did you just say?" Tony leaned forward to kiss him gingerly. He bit back a groan at the chill it sent down his spine. "Beautiful." He repeated staring into crimson eyes. Loki swallowed thickly as a hoard of emotions rushed through him.

Tony slid his nose tenderly along Loki's throat and just breathed him in. Loki moaned softly and dragged his hands into Tony's hair. He gripped it tightly and smashed their lips together. The heat of Tony's mouth sent a jolt of want throughout his entire body. Tony leaned completely against Loki and devoured his mouth. They only pulled away when air was needed. Tony pressed their foreheads together and caressed Loki's cheek. "You are magnificent." He whispered.


	19. Interrogations: Tony

A call came in for the Avengers to take care of a few loose robots Reid 'I went to space and got lame ass stretching powers so I think I'm fucking awesome at everything' Richards (Tony's words) had built. And to further Tonys annoyance they looked a lot like-

"Doombots? Are you fucking kidding me Richards?" He asked in disbelief. He hissed in anger as a bot shot at him and hit his suit. "Hey!" He shouted drawing Thor's attention. "Watch the merchandise." He flew higher gaining half a dozen bots on his tail. He turned and shot down four, one right after the other. Thor flew down from above and grabbed the last two. He slammed them together causing several pieces of metal to fly in every direction. Just as Tony began to head back to join the others Thor grabbed him by the back of his neck and flew them down to the ground. They were hidden from everyone by a clump of trees. "Um," Tony said slowly. "I don't know about you Point Break, but I'm still good to go." Thor just stared at him. "I think not Man of Iron. I wish to speak to you now that we are alone." Tony gulped and scrambled for an excuse to get away. "I'm sure the others could use our help. Right guys?" He said into the comm. "No, we're good here." Clint said, amusement thick in his voice before the connection cut off. Tony cursed him in every language he knew before stopping as Thor stepped towards him.

"I wish to inquire about your intentions for being with my brother." He boomed. Tony hit the switch to retract his helmet and met Thor's gaze. "I intend to get to know him better, fall in love and maybe one day put a ring on it." Tony said casually. He flew off to join the group while Thor was still processing his answer.

The other Avengers eyed him as if checking for injuries as Tony looked around and saw the fight was over. Firing up his thrusters he turned to face his team.

"Oh guys," He said with a smirk. "For having my back?" His eyes glinted with slight anger. "I must say: Fuck you very much." And with a flick of his middle finger to them he flew off back to the tower.


	20. Interrogations: Loki

-At the same time Thor kidnapped Tony-

It had been decided that Loki should stay behind as they weren't certain how his magic would interact with the bots. Anselma and him sat and listened to the groups chatter about the battle. She laughed at Tony's comments while Loki smiled fondly. When she heard Tony's exclamation to Thor she reached over and turned the comm. off. Loki shot her a questioning look.

She turned sideways on the couch to face him head on. "Why do you want to date my Papa?" She said point blank. Loki blinked at her in surprise. "I am intrigued by him. He is so amazing. So... smart, funny, and kind. He is hvatvetna to me..." Anselma smiled happily at Loki's sappy expression. "Okay." She said and turned back on the comm. in time to hear Tony's parting words. She shared a look of confusion with Loki.

They sat in silence waiting for the others to get back. Tony was the first to arrive. He was scowling and muttering angrily under his breath. Loki moved forward to greet him and the moment Tony saw him his expression lifted. Anselma smiled at that and quietly slipped from the room. She could always threaten Loki with bodily harm if he hurt her Papa later. Right now her Papa needed him to calm down. And if just seeing Loki caused Tony to look like that then everything was just fine.

hvatvetna: everything


	21. Arc Reactor Difficulties

-Two Weeks Later-

The pain started off weak enough for Tony to ignore. Really his chest itched (ached) but that was nothing to be worried about. Honestly he had no idea how he ended up collapsing in front of Loki. Talk about embarrassing.

He woke up in Bruce's med bay to a ceiling so blinding white it had to be a hospital room. He hissed in pain as the light stabbed his eyes. "Shh," A soft voice murmured. "It's alright." A soft click let Tony know the light had been shut off. He opened his eyes to meet the worried faces of Bruce and Loki. An angry Anselma hovered in the background.

"You idiot." She snarled making her way to his side. She brushed Bruce gently to the side and leaned over Tony blocking Loki and the doctor from sight. He winced and tried to look apologetic. He failed miserably if his daughter's face was anything to go by. "Why didn't you tell anyone your reactor was hurting? Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice broke slightly. Tony felt ashamed when he saw how hurt his little girl was.

"I'm sorry, Baby Girl." He whispered pulling her to lay next to him. She curled into his side, laying her head on his chest. "Every second that passes this right here," she tapped his heart. "Gets closer to being ripped apart." Her voice was thick with tears she was struggling to hold back. Tony just held her tighter, not knowing what to say.

He drew in a sharp breath a few moments later as a spike of pain flared in his chest. Anselma quickly climbed down from the bed to give Bruce room. The doc ushered her and Loki from the room to lessen the chances of him being distracted. Anselma clung to Loki who held her close as they watched Bruce examine Tony. "Is there anything we can do?" Loki asked desperately. He didn't expect an answer so Anselma dashing for the elevator startled him. He blinked after her. "There is." She called back practically summoning Loki to her side. Together they headed to Tony's lab, hoping to find a way to help the most important man in both their lives.


	22. Magic

"Jarvis, pull up the blueprints for the reactor." Anselma ordered the moment she entered the lab. The hologram instantly popped up as Jarvis obeyed without question. Loki studied it intensely.

"The new element Papa discovered has no ill side effects so the problem has to be with the design somewhere. We," Anselma gestured to Loki and herself. "Just need to find it." Loki nodded absently, still examining the plans. He could tell something was wrong but just couldn't figure what it was exactly. "Science." He muttered to himself. "Science."

Anselma jumped as Loki suddenly snapped his fingers in realization. He hurried over to the hidden panel in the wall that housed a emergency arc reactor. He grabbed it and began prodding it before setting it carefully down on an empty table. Anselma barely wondered how he knew it was there and just watched Loki, riveted by his movements.

Green tendrils of magic flowed elegantly from his fingertips; dancing merrily along the smooth edges of the reactors casing. The rector absorbed the magic effortlessly and hummed, almost in approval. It glowed emerald green for a moment before settling on an azure mist blue. Anselma just stared at Loki in wonder. "What did you do?" She asked in astonishment. Loki looked to her and smiled. "The housing is not stable enough to hold such a powerful energy. It is science but so close to magic it can not tell the difference between the two. I stored a portion of my magic inside the reactor." At Anselma's lost expression he clarified.

"If there is any problem with the reactor my magic will instantly mend it. It will not hurt Tony any longer." Hope flared brightly in her eyes at that. "For how long?" Loki craddled the reactor protectively to his chest and hurried from the room. Anselma rushed after him. "Until someone removes it." He turned suddenly to face her head on as they stepped onto the elevator.

"And I, for one, do not plan on allowing that to happen as long as I shall live." He proclaimed vehemently. Anselma had never been so glad to have met the god then in that moment.


	23. Flashback

Anselma hugged her knees to her chest as Tony thrashed in the bed, fighting against Loki. Tears poured freely down her cheeks as he screamed himself hoarse. "No! Stick to the plan!" His back arched off the bed. A soft sob escaped Anselma's lips as she felt helpless to help her Papa. Loki did his best to hold down Tony so he didn't hurt himself while trying not to hurt the mortal at the same time. It was difficult.

"Yinsen!" Loki cringed at the force of Tony's yell. "Tony, please." He whispered desperately into Tony's ear. "Come back to us."

Tony was trapped in the suit, helpless to stop Yinsen as he grabbed the dead terrorist's gun and ran from the room. "No! Stick to the plan!" He yelled after him but Yinsen didn't listen. Tony urged the suit to hurry and finish powering up. The moment the bar hit 100% Tony was rushing after his friend. He took down any terrorist that stood in his way. He froze when he finally found Yinsen. He was laying on the ground, bleeding out from a gunshot wound. "Yinsen!" He shouted. "Look out." Yinsen called feebly. Tony looked back to see someone firing a missile at him. He ducked down just in time for it to miss. He fired back before hurrying to Yinsen's side. "Stark," the man forced out. "Tony, please." A familiar voice whispered in his ear. "Don't waste it." Yinsen coughed up a small trickle of blood. "Come back to us." Tony jerked, confusion filling him. "Don't waste your life."

Tony woke with a gasp. A strong pair of arms encircled him and held him so lovingly he broke. Tears fell down his cheeks as sobs wracked his frame. Soft hands brushed his tears away gently.

A quiet hum captured his attention. Gradually he relaxed. The sobs quieted and the tears slowed. Taking in his surroundings he saw Loki holding him as Anselma hummed and ran her hands through his hair. She gave him a watery smile before crawling to his other side and wrapping him in her arms too. Tony closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him knowing the two most important people in his life would watch over him. He didn't have anymore flashbacks that night.


	24. Family

It had been a week since Tony had his flashback.

The reactor was in perfect condition thanks to Loki and Tony hadn't felt this good since before Afghanistan. Everyone would have been thrilled if Tony hadn't locked himself in the lab for the whole week. The only thing that stopped them from barging down there and busting in was the fact Anselma and Loki were with him.

Anselma would pop out every now and then to get coffee or food. She wouldn't answer any of their questions. She would just walk around with a blank look, worrying them. At the two week mark, Steve and Thor took turns knocking. There was never an answer. Clint took to lurking beside the door.

At the three week mark they were all worried enough that they felt justified for what they did.

Tony jumped a foot in the air when a giant green fist broke through the lab door. Loki looked greatly confused. Anselma just sighed, having expected something like this to happen at any moment.

Looking out the hole she saw everyone standing there. Everyone. She saw Steve, Thor, Bruce, Natasha, and Clint grouped together. Behind them stood Fury and Coulson. Again she wasn't surprised. Tony was. Especially when Anselma dragged Loki out the room with a "Good luck Papa Bear. Me and your man crush are going for a nap. We're out."

"Uh," Tony gulped. "Hi?"

Hulk lumbered forward slowly and grabbed Tony. He lifted him and hugged him tightly to his chest like a baby. Tony knew better than to even try struggling. Effectively trapped he had no choice but to listen to what everyone had to say.

Thor went first. "Man of Iron," he said solemnly. "You are my bróðir now. I simply wish for you to know that if you ever have need of anything you may come to me. I shall always be here for you." Once done he reached up and patted Tony's foot before leaving.

Natasha took one step forward. "You're family." She said simply before following Thor. Clint didn't bother moving. "We trust you. Trust us." He shrugged. Tony swallowed and looked down to the floor, uncomfortable with all the emotions he was feeling.

Steve stared hard at him before speaking. "You brought us together and fixed us." He said earnestly. "Let us fix you." He left pulling Clint with him.

Coulson was frowning up at Tony who was still looking anywhere but at the people in the room. "Next time come to us." He told him seriously. "Or I'll taze you and watch a supernanny marathon." He spun on his heal and stalked away, flicking his tazer on and off threateningly.

Fury kept silent until Tony looked up to see if he had left. "You are a vital part to this team Stark." His voice was deep with hidden emotion. "As your godfather I'm asking you to please let people in." He was gone before Tony could come up with a response.

"What about you big guy?" Tony mumbled glancing up at Hulk. Hulk growled softly. "Hulk's iron baby." He rumbled, patting Tony's head gently. Tony huffed a teary laugh. "Yeah, love you too big guy."

bróðir: brother


	25. Matchmaker: Thor & Steve

It was surprisingly easy to get Thor to admit he had a huge crush (major hard on) for Steve. And all it took was one little push from Anselma. And yes Bruce, she was quite proud of her handiwork and if he didn't shut up he was going to be next.

Phase One: Physical Attraction

It was pure luck that at the exact time Steve was exercising Thor wished to work out. All Anselma did was point out the room Steve occupied and sat back and watched. It was almost comical to see the Norse god freeze in the doorway and gape at Steve. Not that she could blame him.

Steve was currently shirtless and pummeling the punching bag. His lean muscles rippled with every swing. Every line of sweat outlined his perfection. So yeah, she could see why Thor was practically drooling over the supersoldier. Hell even she was. But that was neither here nor there...

And she was quite proud of her self-control when she saw Thor slip off his shirt and attack the other punching bag. His firece abs were mouthwatering. Apparently Steve thought so to. The poor man couldn't take his eyes off the god.

And Anselma just enjoyed the view. After all, how often would she get the chance to see a half-naked, sweat soaked supersoldier and Norse god? She was going to enjoy this while it lasted.

Phase Two:Intellectual Equality

The next day she tossed a cell phone to each of them and left the room. She checked on them an hour later.

And if Thor leaning over Steve's shoulder as the man tried to explain the device to the god wasn't the cutest thing ever she didn't know what was. Especially since their hands kept brushing and both were sporting major blushes.

Phase Three: Date Night

Thor approached Steve just after his morning run. "Steven?" Steve smiled at him and wiped his face on the towel slung across his shoulders. "Yeah?" He asked. Thor took a deep breath and organized his thoughts. "Would you allow me the pleasure of escorting you to a place of dine?" His voice wavered slightly with nerves. Steve took a minute to figure out what he was saying. "Are you asking me to dinner?" At Thor's nod he grinned. "It would be an honor." He said. Thor beamed and hurried to tell his brother the great news. From the vent above Steve, Clint grumbled and paid Anselma $50. He hated losing bets. Anselma just smirked.


	26. The Date

Anselma was picking out what Steve was going to wear for his date with Thor while he paced and mumbled under his breath, "I can't do this. I can't do this." Anselma just rolled her eyes and pulled out dark wash jeans. Tossing them at Steve she turned to find him a shirt.

Steve automatically began undressing. Finding the perfect shirt Anselma turned to give it to the captain. Her eyebrows rose when she saw he was in nothing but his boxers. Oh Thor, she thought eyeing Steve with appreciation. You lucky man. He was pulling his jeans on autopilot while she tossed the shirt to him. He pulled it on and turned to look in the mirror. Anselma sighed and tugged him to face her.

"You look amazing." She told him, buttoning up the deep blue dress shirt. "This brings out your eyes." Rubbing his shoulders in reassurance she pushed him lightly out the door. "Have fun." She said. Steve gave her a nervous smile before heading into the elevator and hitting the button for Thor's floor. Anselma leaned against the doorframe and sighed. Her little boy was all grown up now...

Thor cursed loudly while waving a dish rag through the air trying to disperse the smoke. The alarm rang shrilly through the room, furthering his ire. Steve entered the kitchen in time to see Thor about to throw his hammer at the smoke alarm. Thor paused with it raised high when he spotted Steve.

He gave a sheepish smile and lowered his hammer. Steve raised an eyebrow in question. Thor blushed. "I attempted to prepare a divine meal to present to you as a sign of my intentions to woo you." Steve smiled softly at Thor, who was frowning at the floor in shame. "I failed." Thor said sadly. Steve helped him clean up before grabbing Thor's hand and leading him to his floor.

Once there he headed to his own kitchen. "What were you trying to make?" He asked curiously. Thor studied how Steve decorated his living space while answering. "Spaghetti." Steve clapped his hands together and took a deep breath. "Let's get started then." Thor shot him a questioning look. Steve grinned. "I'm going to teach you how to make spaghetti." Thor smiled and moved to stand by Steve. He looked at him expectantly.

"Alright," Steve said. "First we boil a pot of water." Thor grabbed a pot and filled it with water. He placed it on the stove as Steve set a pan next to it. He poured in hamburger meat and began to brown it. "After all the meat is brown," he explained to Thor who listened closely. "We pour out the grease and add the spaghetti sauce."

Thor struggled a little with emptying the grease but managed just fine with Steve's help.

"Now we break the noodles in half and put them in the boiling water." They had fun doing that part. "And we add just enough salt to give them flavor. After that we wait until they're soft and we're done." Thor gave Steve a radiant smile. "Thank you Steven for teaching me the art of making the ghetti of spa." Steve chuckled lightly before quickly darting a kiss against Thor's smiling lips. "No problem." He grinned. Thor gave his a chaste kiss. "I am grateful for you darling rekkr." Steve flushed before pulling Thor in for another kiss.

rekkr: warrior, man

Next time:

Loki just shook his head and smiled. Turning he almost ran straight into Anselma.

"So," she drawled. "What are we doing today?" Loki had no clue but he tried to come up with an answer. "Perhaps you could show me around and help me appear more Midgardian." He suggested. Anselma got a wicked smirk. "I think I can do that." Loki had the feeling he had made a mistake.


	27. Author's Note

Hey guys, I'm going to be ending this story soon. There's maybe three or four chapters left. I will do a sequel. But don't worry I do have a plan for the story. So let me know what you guys think...


	28. Father-Daughter Bonding

Tony had planned to spend the whole day with Anselma but had to go to a meeting for Stark Industries.

"Shit. I don't know what to do." He fretted. Loki pushed him out the door affectionately. "I shall accompany her today. Do not worry." He soothed. Tony sighed in relief. "Thanks darling." He said turning and kissing Loki good bye before getting into the car Happy was waiting for him in. Loki just shook his head and smiled. Turning he almost ran straight into Anselma.

"So," she drawled. "What are we doing today?" Loki had no clue but he tried to come up with an answer. "Perhaps you could show me around and help me appear more Midgardian." He suggested. Anselma got a wicked smirk. "I think I can do that." Loki had the feeling he had made a mistake.

Loki gulped nervously when he saw where Anselma had dragged him to first. He looked around at the people sitting and chatting to others who were cutting their hair. Oh he had a bad feeling about this.

Anselma chatted to a woman who wasn't busy before turning to grin at Loki. "Today we are changing your whole look." Loki shook his head no and took a step back when the woman gestured for him to sit in the chair before her. Anselma frowned. Stepping forward she jutted out her lower lip, fluttered her eyes, and suddenly Loki was faced with the full force of an Anselma Pout.

He broke in seconds. And before he knew it he was sitting in a chair, a cloth wrapped around his neck, and watched as locks of his ebony hair floated down by his face. He eyed Anselma who was sitting to his left and getting her hair dyed red. While focused on Anselma he failed to notice his haircut was finished. The woman ("Call me Victoria") let him sit quietly until Anselma's hair was finished. Once done, Loki stared at Anselma for so long she grew worried. "Oh come on," said, turning him around and pushing against his back to get him to move. "Are you going to tell me no one on Asgard changed their hair color? Ever?" Loki's steps faltered for a split second. "Lady Sif did once." Was his only reply. While pondering Loki's hesitation to answer her she steered him into a clothing shop. "Sella!" A man shouted happily, emerging from behind a sea of curtains covering the back of the shop.

"Renee!" Anselma screamed and jumped into his arms. He spun her around once before setting her back on her feet. Loki watched them interstedly. "I need Papa's siren to be measured." Loki blinked at her wondering what she meant by 'siren'.

Renee was on him the second Anselma was finished speaking. He walked around the wary god, eyeing him top to bottom. "Make him look like a god." Anselma grinned her eyes twinkling with mirth. Renee nodded. "I can do that." Loki groaned quietly.

Tony's jaw dropped when he got home and spotted Loki standing in his living room. Loki stood tall and proud but Tony could still see he was worried about his reaction.

Loki was wearing a black suit tailored to accentuate all of his lean muscles. His hair was cut short and left his handsome face open for Tony stare at unhindered. Tony smiled as Loki ran his hand through his hair every few moments, obviously trying to get used to the new length. "Well," he drawled seductively as he stalked like a predator towards the anxious god. "Isn't this a pleasant surprise." Loki opened his mouth to speak but Tony's was suddenly covering it.

Loki groaned as Tony pressed him against the wall and devoured his mouth. Tony sucked hungrily on Loki's tounge and grinded his hard length against the god's. Loki pulled away to moan loudly. Tony's breath hitched with need. "God Lokes," he panted. "I want you."

Loki pressed against Tony and switched their positions. He suckled on Tony's pulse point and thrusted against him. Tony squirmed and groaned Loki's name breathily. The god licked up Tony's neck and nipped lightly at the aroused human's lips. Tony tried to press his mouth to Loki's but the god pulled away. Instead Loki moved to mark Tony's neck again.

Tony keened and Loki's hips stuttered. The god pulled away from Tony completely and pulled him towards the room. Tony went oh too willingly. Once there they fell onto the bed entwined with each other.


	29. Discovery

Anselma knocked on Loki's door and waited patiently for him to answer. She smiled affectionately when he opened the door and rubbed his eyes sleepily like a small child. "Good morn Anselma." He said. She nodded and shifted on her feet. "What can I do for you?" Anselma straightened and met his eyes. "I was wondering if you could teach me about magic." Loki smiled. "It would be an honor." He said. Anselma bounced happily for a moment causing Loki's smile to widen as he remembered everything Tony told him about her.

"When did you wish to start?" He inquired. Anselma hummed in thought. "Is now okay?" Loki chuckled at her and motioned for her to enter his room. He closed the door behind her. Snapping his fingers two pillows appeared in the space between the restroom and bed. Anselma shivered with excitement at the display. They sat facing each other.

"To start, I need you to show me what you can do." Anselma nodded and took a deep breath. A tendril of jade green magic flowed from her fingertips. It grew and began to engulf her. She rose up in the air in a bubble of her magic. Small pieces branched out from the dome and picked up small objects. They rose a few inches before falling. Anselma followed minutes after. Loki smile encouragingly at her. Holding out his hand palm up, a small ball of emerald green magic appeared and hovered. "Make a ball of magic." He instructed her. Anselma did with a small bit of effort. "Now connect it with mine so I can measure the power strength of your magic." Anselma slowly moved her magic until it merged with Loki's. The moment they met something happened.

A strong gust of wind blew through the room flinging Loki's possessions against the walls as a soft lullaby echoed throughout the room. Magic curled protectively around the two and warmed them down to their very core.

Anselma pulled away quickly and looked up to see Loki staring at her strangely. He was shaking with tears in his eyes. Anselma grabbed his shoulder in concern. Loki brushed his fingers along her cheek reverently. "Asta?" He whispered hopefully.

Norse Name-

Asta: divine beauty


	30. Sequel

The sequel is up! It's titled TSOF: Revelation.


End file.
